Reading #2 - "Understanding the Digital Generation II" - Ian Jukes
As a continuation of last week's reading, this reading furthered the exploration of the growing gap between today's digital learners and traditional teachers. It argued that in order to achieve success in the classroom, teachers needed to motivate their students to learn, but unless teachers were able to drastically change their teaching styles to connect to today's digital children, that motivation was not going to take place.
Some of the changes the reading suggested teachers make in order to better connect to today's student included:
familiarizing themselves with the digital world
integrating the technology used by students into the classroom and lessons
allowing students to use social networking devices in the classroom.
a re-evaluation of assessment and evaluation to allow for a shift away from waning importance of knowledge of content to the growing importance of application and construction of knowledge.
I agree completely with the article that today's student in drastically different than students from previous generations, and in order to maintain this student's motivation to learn, the way we teach needs to be drastically modified. I also agree that it is important not only for teachers to familiarize themselves with the technology today's kids are using, but to use and apply some of this technology in their classroom on a regular basis. Likewise, I agree that memorization of facts and numbers is less important in today's society than being able to think critically, problem solve, and apply your knowledge in a practical manner, hence I also agree that assessment and evaluation need to change. However, I am not sure what I think about allowing students to bring social networking devices into the classroom. I am still afraid that this will encourage them to engage in off task behaviors and discourage them from paying attention to the teacher. Perhaps as this course progresses my views on the usefulness of social networking devices in the classroom will shift...we will have to wait and see.
Information & What I Have Learned...
This week we explored Google Applications. More specifically we...
Created a presentation in Google Docs
Created a technology in the high school survey using the "forms" app in Google Docs
Shared and edited docs with one another (we created a collaborative limerick)
We also learned about Interactive Response Systems (a.k.a "clickers") and how this tool can be used in the classroom to create a more dynamic and participatory learning environment
Software & How to Use...
To access some of the applications in Google Docs..
sign-in or create a Google account if you don't have one
under "Documents" go to "Create New" presentation
this is like a simple version of PowerPoint and allows you to create slideshows
it is very user friendly and allows easy uploading of pictures and YouTube videos
under "Documents" got to "Create New" form
this allows you to create surveys or quizzes/tests
If you wish to share any of these documents with someone else, select the document you want to share by ticking off the checkbox beside the doc's name, click on "share," choose "invite people," and enter the email address(es) of those people you would like to share with
Thoughts and Reflections...
Reading #2 - "Understanding the Digital Generation II" - Ian Jukes
As a continuation of last week's reading, this reading furthered the exploration of the growing gap between today's digital learners and traditional teachers. It argued that in order to achieve success in the classroom, teachers needed to motivate their students to learn, but unless teachers were able to drastically change their teaching styles to connect to today's digital children, that motivation was not going to take place.
Some of the changes the reading suggested teachers make in order to better connect to today's student included:
Information & What I Have Learned...
This week we explored Google Applications. More specifically we...
We also learned about Interactive Response Systems (a.k.a "clickers") and how this tool can be used in the classroom to create a more dynamic and participatory learning environment
Software & How to Use...
To access some of the applications in Google Docs..